The Apprentice PART TWO
by Robyn
Summary: Okay, this isn't the actual The Apprentice PART TWO, but this is my version of the ep. The Titans are in deep trouble, and they don't even know it! But Robin does! Now he has to save his friends without hurting them!
1. Chapter One

(Okay, I just saw "The Apprentice, Part One" and it was SO COOL! I'm eagerly waiting Part Two. But you know what? I'm gonna write Part Two right now! ^_^ Keep in mind I haven't actually seen Part Two yet, so it'll probably be very different from the actual episode. This is just to get it out of my system, I guess. Enjoy! Oh, and these characters belong to DC and Warner Bros. and I'm not making any money off this. ^_~)  
  
The night was dark, cold and bitter. 'Funny', he thought, 'that's exactly how I feel right now.'  
  
A slender, shadowy figure was hopping from building to building in the pale moonlight. Under one arm he carefully carried a small vial of glowing orange liquid. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, Slade didn't say. It didn't really matter, Slade had told him, it was merely a small test. However, a "small test" to Slade meant breaking into a high security building complete with security camera and laser-ridden hallways and carefully decoding a security lock to open the case holding the vial without triggering the alarms.  
  
While he had succeeded in this, the dark figure was understandably tired, and quickly getting into a bad mood. He prayed that the rest of the night would go by fairly peacefully -  
  
Suddenly he slammed face first into a wall.  
  
"OW! What the -"  
  
A wall that hadn't been there half a second ago. Shaking his head, he stepped back to get a better look at the mysterious wall. His heart sunk. He had seen a wall like that before.  
  
He spun around and saw that he was right. Raven was floating about ten feet from him, using her powers to make a wall of dark energy. Just below her, on the roof of a building, stood the other Teen Titans.  
  
"Boy," Cyborg was saying, aiming his cannon, "did you pick the wrong night to - ROBIN!?" He let out a shout, suddenly recognizing his target. The Titans gasped.  
  
'Damn,' Robin thought. He had been afraid of this.  
  
"Robin!" Starfire cried joyfully. When Robin had disappeared after his fight with Cinderblock, she had been extremely worried for his safety. Seeing Robin alive and well put a smile on her sweet face. But then a look of puzzlement came over her features as she looked at him. He was not wearing his usual outfit of red and green and yellow that was supposed to represent the small earth bird known as a "robin". He was wearing a strange orange and black suit that looked almost like armor. It seemed very unlike him. The others didn't seem to notice though, not yet.  
  
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Beast Boy shrieked. "We were soooooooo worried! We thought maybe Cinderblock actually got you!"  
  
'I wish,' Robin thought sadly. He longed to open his mouth and tell his friends what exactly was going on, but he clearly remembered Slade's instructions that he was forbidden to speak to them again. Damn that little red button!  
  
"This is ROBIN we're talking about," Raven said, bringing the dark energy wall down, "it would take more than that blockhead to take him down." She had her usual monotonous tone, but now with a hint of respect. Even SHE had been worried about Robin. "But what's with the new outfit?"  
  
"Yeah," said Cyborg, "and WHAT are you doing with that vial of highly expensive chemicals that was just stolen from that factory down the road??"  
  
"DUH, Cyborg, isn't it obvious?" Beast Boy spoke up, "Robin musta seen the criminal and took the vial from him! Hey Rob, any idea who it was? The Hive, maybe??"  
  
The Titans looked expectantly over at Robin. Robin's heart twisted at the look on their faces, their complete trust in their leader, their respect. God, he didn't want to do this!  
  
"Robin." Robin winced at the soft but sinister voice in his ear. Slade had put a com-link in Robin's ear in order to give him instructions from the computer in his hideout, and a tiny camera on Robin's suit so he could watch Robin's movements. Robin could hear the sick grin in his voice, "I think you know what to do now."  
  
Robin gritted his teeth and sighed. The Titans looked at him curiously.  
  
Raven titled her head slightly, "Robin?"  
  
Robin looked down with a face of utter sorrow. When he looked up again, it was hard and cold.  
  
Cyborg raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Robin?"  
  
Robin slowly raised his arm towards the Titans. The one that had a laser cannon attached to it.  
  
A hint of worry crept into Beast Boy's voice. What was going on? "Robin?!"  
  
Robin fired.  
  
Starfire gasped in terror, "ROBIN!"  
  
(Okay! So should I continue? I got a few more days until the actual episode airs, so lemmie know soon. ^_^) 


	2. Chapter Two

In the half-second it took for the bright laser bomb to cross the space between Robin and the other Titans, it occurred to Starfire: they were going to die, and by Robin's hands. This did not compute. Her innocent mind could never imagine such a thing. Yet, there was the evidence, right in her face, and there was no time to dodge it. She closed her eyes.  
  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!  
  
A huge explosion rocked the building, setting off the alarms of several nearby cars and scattering debris everywhere.  
  
It took Starfire a few moments to realize she was not part of the debris.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Cyborg was standing to her right, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. On her left, Beast Boy had turned into a small green Chihuahua and was trembling. Just above her floated Raven, who was in the middle of saying some magic words in order to make another wall, but it was a second too late. And, the Titans soon realized, completely unnecessary.  
  
Just in front of them was a huge, smoldering crater.  
  
By the time the smoke cleared, Robin was gone.  
  
~  
  
Robin leapt from building to building once again, going as fast as his legs would carry him. Slade was chucking.  
  
"Good," he said, "very good."  
  
Robin gritted his teeth and said nothing. He hated doing that to his friends, but he needed to convey a message: Stay away from me. Until he could figure a way out of this, he had to discourage the Titans from coming near him to keep them safe. He had to be their enemy.  
  
At the moment, life sucked.  
  
A few minutes later Robin stepped into Slade's hideout. He had considered leaving some sort of trail to lead the Titans there, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Too risky. If he was getting out of this, he'd have to do it on his own.  
  
The hideout was dark, the only light coming from the giant computer screens showing info on the Titans bloodstream. Those damn little robots were still floating about in there, a constant reminder to Robin of what would happen if he disobeyed. Slade stood there, silhouetted by the computer screens. Once again, Robin felt a flare of hatred for the man who had taken his life away. If he could just get one shot at him.  
  
"You have it?" Slade asked.  
  
Robin held out the vial. Slade took it from him and inspected it. "Good. Interesting how you handled meeting the Titans again - you realize, though, you can't keep that up forever. Sooner or later, you will have to fight them."  
  
"Not if I can help it."  
  
"Ah, but you can't help it. Eventually they will have trapped you, and you will have to fight your way out. And if you fail in battle, they will all die. You need to realize this: they are not your friends anymore."  
  
Robin narrowed his eyes, "Oh yeah? Why should I keep working for you then? The only reason I am is BECAUSE they're my friends."  
  
Slade actually looked a little flustered for a moment, and Robin smirked inwardly. Not that he would let his friends die because of him, he just wanted to point out the inconsistencies in Slade's logic.  
  
Slade frowned on Robin, "I will forgive your insolence tonight, because you do not yet understand the blessing that's been put upon you. Retire to your room. You're true training starts tomorrow."  
  
"'True training'?" Robin muttered as he turned away, "what do you call tonight?"  
  
Unfortunately, he said that a little too loud.  
  
"What was that?" Slade said in a dangerous tone. Robin froze. He could almost imagine the little red button sitting in Slade's hand. He took a deep breath. "Nothing."  
  
"'Nothing'.what?" Slade growled.  
  
Robin grimaced. He knew what Slade wanted him to say, but it made his stomach turn.  
  
"Nothing.Master Slade."  
  
"Good. Go to your room."  
  
Robin speed-walked out of there.  
  
~  
  
The room Slade had provided for Robin was actually pretty nice, all things considered. It had a large comfy bed and a desk with a chair and a lamp. Other than that, it was pretty bare, with no windows. Still it could've been a lot worse.  
  
That didn't make Robin feel any better, though.  
  
He slipped out of the Slade outfit and put in on the chair. He was wearing a black tank top and shorts under it. He wished he knew what had become of his Robin outfit, whether it had been destroyed or what.  
  
He sighed and climbed into the bed, pulling the covers over his head. When he was sure his head was completely covered, he took off his mask. He was sure there was a camera in there, and while he wasn't sure if Slade cared who he really was, he didn't want to take any chances, and he wasn't about to sleep with his mask on.  
  
There was another reason he wanted to keep hidden. Reaching under his tank top, he pulled out a photograph. He had managed to sneak it from his Robin outfit when Slade wasn't looking. It was a photo of back when he lived with Bruce at Wayne Manor. It was him, Bruce, Alfred, Barbara and Dick standing in front of the manor together. He always kept it with him, hoping it would bring him luck. While that obviously didn't work, it comforted him to look at it sometimes. He still visited from time to time, but being leader of the Titans was a full time job. He looked at the man who had brought him in and taught him, and wondered what he would do in this situation. He sighed and stuck the photo under his pillow, then poked out a hand from under the covers and turned off the light.  
  
-  
  
-  
  
(Yes! Thank you all for your kind reviews. Forget Redbull, REVIEWS give you wings! *LOL* Anyway, I'll try to get this finished before Saturday, but if I don't.read it anyway. I got some good ideas including a SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE! O_o Who, exactly!? Well, you'll find out. Dee Dee - DEEDS! Where on God's green earth have you been!? I missed you! Well, I'm glad you like the fic. Prisionero - Really? The best? Wow, thanks! Amara Aquila - Sure! *signs fanfic "to my dear friend Ama - how do you spell your name again? *LOL* jk Max - Aww, you didn't see it? That sucks. If you wanna know what happened exactly, lemmie know! ^_^) 


	3. Chapter Three

Later that night, the door to Robin's room slowly slid open. Robin peeked his head out and looked left to right. The hall was dark and empty. He stepped out and began to creep down the hallway.  
  
It didn't surprise him his door wasn't locked - Slade had told him he was free to go anywhere in the hideout, as long as he didn't try to escape. That would mean death to his friends.  
  
That was fine. He didn't want to leave the hideout - not just yet, anyway.  
  
Not wanting anyone to know he was up and about, and used all his stealth skills to dodge the security cameras and bots as he made his way through the hideout. He finally came to the computer room.  
  
It was quiet, save for the hum of machinery and Robin's soft breathing. He padded over to the computer, staring down at the many keys on the console. He wasn't Cyborg, but he knew a thing or two about computers, and with a little luck, he might be able to disable the robots in the other Titans so he could attack Slade without fear. He would have to be very careful, though.  
  
He rested his hands on the console and pressed a key.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
An incredible electric shock shot up Robin's arms and through his body. For one agonizing second, he froze; his mouth and eyes open in total pain. He fell back and landed on the cold floor, gasping and blowing on his hands.  
  
A pair of boots appeared at his head. He glanced up to see Slade.  
  
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Slade said coolly, "I've wired the computers to let off a nasty electrical shock if the sensors realize it's you at the keyboard. Bad boy," he tsked.  
  
Robin just stared up at him, too shocked to speak.  
  
"Try that again, and your friends WILL die." He began to walk away, "If you go to the medical bay, the bots there will bandage your hands. We don't want you to be a bang up job on your first day of training, now do we?"  
  
~  
  
It was a sad scene at the Titans Tower the next day. Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing video games, but not really playing. Raven was reading a book, but not really reading. Starfire was watching TV, but not really watching. Until she flipped to the news.  
  
"Today on the news: A NEW VILLAIN IN TOWN!?"  
  
Starfire gasped, "Oh my goodness, look!"  
  
The other Titans looked up from what they were doing - or rather, NOT doing - and gathered around the TV.  
  
"Last night, some highly expensive and DANGEROUS chemicals were stolen by a young boy in a mask and power suit. Both the Teen Titans and the police tried to take him down, but he managed to escape without a trace."  
  
On the screen they were showing a dark figure running on the rooftops. Though it was hard to tell, the Titans could see that it was definitely Robin.  
  
"Oh dear," murmured Starfire.  
  
~  
  
"Come look at this, boy," Slade said as Robin came into the computer room suited up, "you're famous already."  
  
'Oh God,' Robin thought as he walked up to the TV Slade was pointing to.  
  
"This mysterious boy, who has not yet been identified, has been nicknamed 'Icarus'."  
  
~  
  
"Icarus?" Cyborg exploded, "what the heck does that mean!?"  
  
"Greek myth," Raven said, "boy make wings out of feathers and wax, flies too high, wings melt, he crashes into the ocean and dies."  
  
"People can fly with just feathers and wax?" Beast Boy asked, astonished.  
  
"No, dummy, that's why it's called a MYTH."  
  
Starfire sighed, "At least they do not know it is Robin. Think of what that would do to his reputation!"  
  
"I don't know," Cyborg began, "maybe we should tell the cops it's him."  
  
"WHAT!?" Beast Boy cried, "No way! What kind of friends would we be then?"  
  
"HelLO? He fired at us! And stole stuff!"  
  
"Yeah, but -"  
  
"There must be SOME reason!" Starfire cried, "Robin is good and noble! He must have a good reason to do such things!"  
  
"Everyone has a dark side," Raven said, "maybe Robin has finally tapped into his."  
  
"Exactly!" Cyborg agreed. When the others looked at him strangely, he said defensively, "What? It's fine for Raven to say it, but I can't?"  
  
"I am sorry," Starfire sighed, "but I hope you are both wrong."  
  
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?" Beast Boy shouted suddenly. He pointed at Cyborg accusingly, "I think you're just trying to make it out like Robin HAS gone bad, so you can kick him off the team!"  
  
"WHAT! That's ridiculous! I'm just trying to be logical, unlike you! You're not the only one who cares about him, you know!"  
  
"You sure aren't acting like it!"  
  
"Please stop fighting!" Starfire cried, tearing up.  
  
"You know what, Star? Just shut up!"  
  
"Don't tell her to shut up, you shut up!"  
  
"BOTH of you shut up," Raven snapped. "I'm going to meditate."  
  
"Oh sure, try to hide from the problem why don't you!"  
  
"I am NOT hiding!"  
  
And before you knew it, the three of them were fighting and arguing. Starfire flew up into the air, trying to distance herself from the angry bunch.  
  
"Please, my friends, we must not fight!" Starfire said desperately, "We are all worried about Robin, and we -"  
  
It was useless. Starfire sighed and shook her head, not knowing what to do. Usually Robin could harness the others' rampant emotions and get to some compromise, but seeing as he WASN'T here, it wasn't surprising that things were quickly descending into chaos. They weren't really mad at each other, though: the fact that the groups' most straight-laced and controlled member had betrayed them, in a sense, abandoned them, they were lashing out at each other in anger and confusion.  
  
Starfire straightened. "Fine, be like that! I shall go look for Robin myself and get to the bottom of this!"  
  
She turned around and soared out of the Tower, blocking out the sounds of anger resonating through it. Hot tears slowly streamed down her face in the cold air as she wondered what in the blazes she was going to do now.  
  
'I still believe in you, Robin,' she thought, 'please, let me help you.'  
  
- - (Wow. That was intense. I need to lie down now. *LOL* Uh, sorry if the Icarus thing is kinda weird, I just thought it would be cool.  
  
Desufnoc ~ Thanks! But I hope my fic ISN'T like the actual episode, cause then I'll feel bad for giving the ep away! I'm sure it'll be better - and anyway, I'm still not sure how I'm gonna get Rob out of this.  
  
Robin: WHAT!? The only reason I agreed to do this fic is because you said you'd get me out!  
  
Don't freak out, I will! I have a, um, vague idea anyway  
  
Robin: Oh my God.  
  
Slade: Mwahahaha!  
  
Robin: Just shut up! *sob* Why do you hate me!?  
  
I don't! Listen, I SWEAR I'll think of something and you can beat up Slade and all will be right in the world!  
  
Slade: I don't like how that sounds.  
  
Good. :P Anyway, I think the SPECIAL GUEST will appear next chapter!  
  
Starfire: What is this "special guest"?  
  
You'll see. You're going to meet him first!  
  
Cyborg: "Him"!? Aw man, I was hoping it was Christina Agulerra!  
  
Riiiiiight. Anyway, please review! ^_^ 


	4. Chapter Four

"Iccarus," Slade murmured as he switched off the TV, "I rather like it."  
  
"I don't," Robin said miserably. Damn, damn, damn. He hadn't thought that someone would catch him on TV. Damn. This could really screw things up. At least they didn't know it was him.  
  
"Whether you like it or not, it fits you. From now on you will be referred to as Iccarus. 'Robin' is the name of a weak, silly songbird, anyway."  
  
Robin growled. The point of being Robin was to represent swiftness and joy, the embodiment of a hero. He was NOT about to be named after some lame myth.  
  
"Like Iccarus, you shall soar higher than the sun -"  
  
"And then come crashing down? I've heard the myth before."  
  
"Ah, but that's the beauty of it - you will not crash down. You will become the most respected and feared being in the underworld, as I am."  
  
"Whoopie."  
  
Suddenly Slade's hand shot out and slapped Robin across the face. Robin winced in pain, but forced himself to not cry out.  
  
"I do not like your tone," Slade said calmly, "you'll need to learn how to tame that tongue of yours."  
  
Robin glared up at Slade with his best 'Go to hell and DIE' face. Slade just chuckled emotionlessly and began to walk to the center of the room. "Come, we must begin your training."  
  
'Oh, this should be fun,' Robin thought, following Slade. He wasn't that he was worried about his ability - he was fairly confident in that. It's just he wasn't sure he would like Slade's method of training.  
  
Unfortunately, he was absolutely right.  
  
They faced each other in the center of the room with a spotlight over them. Robin got into a fighting stance. Slade stood with his arms crossed.  
  
"Now," he said, "try to hit me as hard as you can."  
  
Robin smirked inwardly. 'Gladly,' he thought. He moved forward, swinging his fist -  
  
And jerked to a stop.  
  
"Ah! What -"  
  
Looking around, Robin found that some sort of metal clamp had come up out of the ground and grabbed Robin's ankle. He couldn't move it at all.  
  
POW!  
  
The next moment Robin was seeing stars as Slade cracked him across the chin. Robin swayed and just barely managed to keep balance. "Hey! How the heck am I supposed to fight with this thing on my foot!?"  
  
"Well, you'll just have to endure, won't you?" Slade said, grinning. He hit Robin again, who just barely blocked it.  
  
"THIS is the training? Getting beaten to death?"  
  
"Beaten, yes, death, no. That wouldn't be very cost-effective, now would it? You see, your problem is that your former mentor - oh, I know all about him, I assure you - has spoiled you. If you're going to learn anything you'll need to be smacked around a bit."  
  
"What are you, my dad now?"  
  
"I OWN you, Icarus. That's close enough for me."  
  
"Don't you dare call me tha -"  
  
Slade hit him again. The conversation was over. As much as Robin tried, not being able to move about made it extremely difficult to fight and block. He was getting hit more than he hit back, and he would sway back, just barely staying up. That's when he realized what this reminded him of: a clown punching bag. You punch it and it comes popping back up. His humiliation was complete.  
  
He tried not to cry out, but as time wore on, it got more and more worse. It wasn't long before he was yelling in pain, and his cries echoed throughout the hideout.  
  
~  
  
"Robin? ROOOOOBIN! Where are you?"  
  
It was evening now and Starfire was still searching the city, with nothing to show for her work. She floated over Town Square for the umpteenth time and sighed. She rested on top of a nearby building and put her chin in her hands. She stayed like that for a long time, watching the sun slowly set and the city lights flicker on.  
  
Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, and she stiffened. Leaping off the building, she floated in the air and spun around to face her stalker. She gasped.  
  
"Get over it," he snapped, "I need you to tell me what the hell's going on."  
  
- - (*whew* This is getting hard! Poor Robin, I love him so much but treat him so bad. :P  
  
Starre ~ I checked out your story - it was great! Seriously, continue that soon! And as for the special guest - uh, Batman? NO! Okay yes. :P I guess it was pretty obvious especially with that last line. ^_^  
  
Loselen Snowstar ~ Good point on the Icarus thing. I dunno, I just kinda went for random Greek names, I think it worked out.  
  
Archer ~ Thanks! (Everyone, this is my good buddy Archer, SAY HI! ^_^) 


	5. Chapter Five

"This is ridiculous," Raven said. She, Beast Boy and Cyborg were walking down the street. It was dark now, the only light coming from the street lamps.  
  
"What's ridiculous about trying to find your friends?" Cyborg asked.  
  
"One, if Robin HAS gone bad, he won't let us find him, and two, it was foolish of Starfire to run off like that."  
  
"Fly off," Beast Boy corrected.  
  
"Whatever. The point is she shouldn't have done it."  
  
Beast Boy shrugged, "We WERE being pretty lame, though. Okay, I'm ready." He turned into a hound dog.  
  
"Speak for yourself!" Cyborg snapped as he held out one of Robin's birdarangs for Beast Boy to sniff.  
  
"Just forget it," Raven growled, "let's see if this dumb plan of yours works."  
  
Beast Boy sniffed the birdarang, then began sniffing the ground, trying to find Robin's scent.  
  
"Anything?" Cyborg asked.  
  
Beast Boy shook his head and continued to sniff.  
  
"Meanwhile," Raven said, "I'LL try connecting a psychic link with him. This might take a while, since I don't know his exact location." She closed her eyes and put her hands in the air, concentrating.  
  
Cyborg looked at the both of them and crossed his arms. "And I'll just stand here," he sighed.  
  
~  
  
'I don't believe this,' Robin thought, pausing on a balcony ledge. He had gotten the beating of his life and Slade STILL made him go stealing that night! It was a good thing he had impressive stamina, or he wouldn't have been able to move at all.  
  
The building had a large window and he suddenly caught his reflection in it. He looked very different than he did a few days ago. He could see the shadows of bruises on his face, and he knew there were even more, darker bruises on the rest of his body. Slade had been pretty careful with Robin's face, actually. Probably didn't want his dear apprentice looking bad in battle.  
  
Bastard.  
  
He had gotten plenty of bruises when he first started training with Batman, but it was never this bad. Then again, Batman had never beaten him within an inch of his life either.  
  
He hated this. He hated being unable to talk to his friends, to be their enemy. He hated submitting to the monster Slade. He hated going against everything he believed in. He hated feeling helpless.  
  
He hated Slade. With a PASSION. And actually, it frightened him a little how strong his hate was. He had never felt like that before. Maybe he really WAS like Slade.  
  
'NO!' Robin thought firmly, 'I'm Robin. I'm nothing like Slade. And I'm gonna get back at him. Somehow.'  
  
"When you're done admiring yourself," Slade growled in his ear, "maybe you could get on with the mission."  
  
Robin jerked his head, wondering how long he had been standing there, staring. He quickly leapt off the balcony ledge and onto the roof of another building. Using the skills he used often back in the days he fought with Batman, he slipped through the skylight and into the building.  
  
~  
  
A few minutes later, a little light on Cyborg's arm started beeping.  
  
"Huh?" Cyborg muttered. He had wandered away from Raven and Beast Boy, so they didn't notice. He checked his arm and pressed a button. A little radio came out.  
  
"Calling all cars, calling all cars, suspect codenamed 'Icarus' is on the move, heading towards Town Square. He is armed and dangerous, I repeat, armed and dangerous, over!"  
  
Cyborg clonked over to the others as fast as he could. "Guys! Guys! I found him!"  
  
Raven turned towards him and Beast Boy changed from a hound to himself. "What do ya mean?" he asked.  
  
"My radio picked up some police signals - it looks like Robin's stolen something again! He's at Town Square!"  
  
"What are we waiting for?" Beast Boy cried, "Let's go!"  
  
He turned into a Falcon and flew up into the air, followed by Raven. Cyborg blinked.  
  
"Um, HELLO? AREN'T YOU GUYS FORGETTING SOMETHING!?"  
  
Raven rolled her eyes, flew back down and wrapped her arms around Cyborg. Carrying him up, they flew off after Beast Boy.  
  
~  
  
"STOP IN THE NAME OF - ahhhhh OOF!"  
  
Robin quickly got rid of the police officer standing in his way by using a simple disabling move. The officer crumpled to the ground unconscious. While Robin hated doing that, he was disgusted at how easy it was to evade the police. Don't they train these guys? Then again, that was why there were superheroes in this world.  
  
Cradling some exspensive computer disk thing, he darted through dark alleyways. He turned a corner and saw several police cars blocking his way.  
  
"Use your laser cannon," Slade ordered.  
  
Hell no, he was not going to do that. Thinking quickly, Robin lied, "I - I can't! It's jammed!"  
  
"Oh really?" Slade said, obviously unbelieving. Suddenly the laser cannon when off by itself, hitting a police car. The explosion was massive, throwing police officers left and right. Robin stared with his mouth slightly agape.  
  
"I would recommend not trying that again," Slade whispered, "I can control certain parts of that suit any time I please - don't make me."  
  
Robin just nodded slowly and bolted past the fiery wreckage.  
  
He was in an especially dark part of town now, mostly deserted buildings. Plenty of places to hide until the police moved on.  
  
Suddenly a very large green tiger jumped in front of Robin. He screeched to a halt and skimmed his surroundings. Cyborg and Raven were standing on either side of him.  
  
"Now Robin," Cyborg began, "just chill out. We just wanna know what's going -"  
  
Robin bolted, charging Beast Boy. He knew his team, and he knew that Beast Boy, as harsh as it sounded, was the weakest link. He was right. Beast Boy chickened out and, changing back into himself, darted to one side, letting Robin pass.  
  
"Um. Titans go?" Cyborg said, a little flustered.  
  
Raven rolled her eyes and went flying after Robin. She began firing dark energy at him, trying to get it to hold him down. Robin dodged it and ducked into a deserted building.  
  
The place was dark and dirty, and he could hear rats scurrying about. Why did they leave buildings like this? So that guys like him could dodge the law in it?  
  
He wondered where Starfire was. Maybe she was so disgusted with him she couldn't bear to face him. His insides turned.  
  
Suddenly Cyborg appeared out of nowhere and clamped his arms around Robin. He struggled, but he couldn't break free from Cyborg's iron grip.  
  
"I say it again - chill out! 'Cause I'm not letting you go 'til you come to your senses!"  
  
Robin pressed some secret button on the suit and a helmet came out of the suit and over his head. Before Cyborg could decipher what this meant, electrical currents came out of Robin's suit, shocking Cyborg.  
  
"AAAHHHH!!!" He let go of Robin and fell on his back.  
  
Robin looked down at Cyborg, hoping he was alright. The electrical currents wouldn't do any permanent damage, but Cy was going to have a major headache in the morning.  
  
"ROBIN!"  
  
A large green elephant BAMED through the wall, followed by Raven. Robin darted out of the building and into the street again.  
  
Suddenly a bright greenish light filled the dark area. Robin looked up to see Starfire floating above the buildings.  
  
"Robin! Please stop!"  
  
Robin was about to bolt again when Raven and Beast Boy appeared on either side of him. Raven noticed Starfire.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?"  
  
"Um, well," Starfire began, sounding rather flustered, "we, ah, have a guest!"  
  
Suddenly a dark form appeared on the building near Starfire. It took Robin only a moment to see who it was, and when he did he gasped. 'Oh crap,' he thought.  
  
Slade broke out in wild laughter, "Oh, this is rich."  
  
"Who the fudge is that?" Beast Boy asked.  
  
"Tall, dark, intimidating," Raven muttered, "it must be -"  
  
"Batman," the figure growled.  
  
- - (Dun dun DUN! Yep, this'll be interesting. So, I saw the episode! Wasn't it cool!? But I'm surprised they DIDN'T have Batman in the episode. I mean, first Slade's like, "Perhaps I will become like a father to you," and Robin's like, "I already HAVE a father," and a bunch of bats fly by and it's pretty obvious who he's referring to, right? THEN Robin robs some building, and it turns out its WAYNE freakin' ENTERPRISES! I mean, HELLO? Then I heard someone say that SLADE was BATMAN. O_o I THINK NOT! Wouldn't that suck? God, I hope that's not the case. Why would he do that? Anyway, I'll just continue with my ideas ^_^  
  
Amara Aquilla ~ Hey, I love Starfire too, but this is really more Robin's story. Sorry. I'll see what I can do, though. ^_~  
  
Kazima Kuwabara ~ IT IS BATMAN! Calm down! ^_^  
  
Maria ~ Thanks! But, um, you WANT Slade to be really mean to Robin? O_o  
  
Robin: Kiss off, sicko!  
  
ROBIN! Be nice to the reviewers!  
  
Robin: Grrrrr.  
  
Slade: I think I like this Maria girl. Tell me, child, how old are you? I am a single white male, late 30's -  
  
*TWACK!* Slade, NO DATING REVIEWERS!  
  
Slade: But - I need LOVE!  
  
O_o  
  
Robin: O_o  
  
Slade: *starts singing* 'Mariiiiia! I just met a girl named Mariiiiiiiaaaa!'  
  
Robin: Dear God.  
  
Slade: Sing with me, Robin!  
  
Robin: HECK NO!  
  
Slade: 'And suddenly that name will never be the same for meeeeeee!'  
  
Robin: MAKE HIM STOP!  
  
O_o Ummm well, Slade's torturing Robin now, so I hope you're happy.  
  
Slade: 'SAY IT LOUD AND THERE'S MUSIC PLAYING! Say it soft and it's almost like praying -'  
  
Robin: PRAY THIS! *POW!*  
  
Slade: Oooh, there goes my back - 'Maria, I'll never stop saying MariAAAA!' *falls over*  
  
Robin: Heh heh heh.  
  
Riiiiiiight. Sorry if anyone's forever traumatized by that. ^_^ 


	6. Chapter Six

Now this was something Robin had been ESPECIALLY afraid of. Obviously, he didn't want to fight his friend and mentor, his father figure, but another factor came into this: Robin was pretty sure he couldn't beat Batman.  
  
The man in question hopped down from the building, his long dark cape billowing, and landed on the ground in a crouch. He slowly straightened, and his form seemed to be made from the darkness, his white eyes the only thing showing. Robin could finally understand why criminals would cower whenever they saw "The Bat" - why some thought he wasn't really human. He was like something out of a nightmare.  
  
"Robin," he rumbled in a deep voice that would make Darth Vader nervous, "I want you to stop this now."  
  
It occurred to Robin that not too long ago that would be all it took - a sharp order from Batman. Back when he was just a sidekick he'd do anything to please Batman, to prove his worth, and if he disappointed him, he would work hard to make sure it didn't happen again.  
  
Robin sighed. But he had his team to think about now. He couldn't let them die because he disappointed Batman. 'This is going to suck,' he thought.  
  
He whipped out a small metal ball from within his suit, closed his eyes, and threw it down. It exploded into a blindingly bright flash of light that filled the whole area. Everyone gasped and closed their eyes, but it was too late; they were temporarily blinded. By the time their sight returned, Robin was gone.  
  
"Aw, MAN!" Beast Boy cried, "He did it again!"  
  
Batman had thrown his cape in front of him when the flash happened, and he now tossed in behind him as he made his way towards where Robin was standing just before. Starfire flew down from above and towards Raven and Beast Boy.  
  
"Oh dear, is everyone all right? Where is Cyborg?"  
  
"Ohhhhh."  
  
Cyborg stumbled out of the building, rubbing his head.  
  
"And what were YOU doing?" Raven snapped, "Taking a nap?"  
  
"Don't. Talk. Head. Huuurts," Cyborg moaned. "Man, BB, why did you let Robin run past you?"  
  
"Aw, I dunno, I just - I mean - I couldn't do it guys! It's Robin!"  
  
"It IS Robin," Raven said, "but right now he's our enemy, and we have to treat him as such."  
  
"I know," Beast Boy said sadly.  
  
Raven frowned, almost feeling sorry for Beast Boy. Well, nothing else made sense at the moment, so why not?  
  
"Hey," she said, putting a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder, "I hate it too. But we've been through worse situations, right? As long as we stick together, we'll be fine."  
  
For a moment Beast Boy stared at Raven like she was growing horns, surprised at the sudden kindness. Then he grinned, "Yeah, you're right."  
  
"I agree," Starfire nodded, "we must forget our fears and confusions and work together in order to get to the rear of this!  
  
"No, Star, it's 'bottom of this' and I agree and this is all very sweet," Cyborg said, "but could someone tell me who the heck that is?" He was pointing at Batman, who was still crouched where Robin had been standing before, now holding some sort of device in his hands.  
  
"That is 'The Batman'," Starfire explained, "He was Robin's guardian. He saw Robin on the news and came here to find out what is going on."  
  
"What'd you tell him?"  
  
"What we know about the situation."  
  
"In other words, not much," Beast Boy said. "What's he doing?"  
  
"I'm using a thermal detector," Batman said. The others jumped. They hadn't realized he was listening to them. "It can pick up traces of the heat that came from Robin's body and the power suit."  
  
He stood up suddenly and headed towards a building that had a fire escape. "He went up here," he muttered. He began to shimmy up it. The Titans looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him.  
  
On the roof, Batman frowned. "It's too cold up here. Any traces of heat are too faint for the detector to pick up."  
  
"So what do we do now?" Beast Boy asked.  
  
Batman swung his head around to face him, eyes narrowed. The Titans backed off a little. This guy was WEIRD.  
  
"I work alone."  
  
"But Robin's our friend!" Beast Boy cried.  
  
"Yeah, and if you know how to find him, we're sticking to you like glue!" Cyborg added.  
  
"PLEASE?" Starfire begged.  
  
Batman stared at them for a long moment, then said, "Fine. But let's get one thing straight: I'm in charge. You do what I say, when I say it, or you can go walking back to that bizarre T-shaped tower of yours."  
  
"What's wrong with our tower?" Beast Boy cried defensively.  
  
"Yeah," Cyborg snapped, "and who died and made you king -"  
  
"Deal," Raven interrupted. This was no time for pride issues. And secretly, she couldn't help but admire the Dark Knight's harsh bluntness. In fact, he was kinda cool.  
  
"Good," Batman said, looking on the horizon. "Here's the plan."  
  
~  
  
"Will you listen to me!?" Robin cried. He was standing in front of Slade, who was sitting in a large chair and staring nonchalantly up at him. "You're best chance is to move the hideout TODAY!"  
  
"I'll do no such thing," Slade said calmly, "why should I be worried about Batman?"  
  
"Because he doesn't need a bunch of clues laid out when he wants to find something! He'll be here for sure, and trust me, you don't want that!" Robin was desperate. He couldn't believe he was giving Slade advice, but it had to be done.  
  
"You really don't want to fight him, do you?" Slade smirked.  
  
"Of course not," Robin snapped, "you know I couldn't beat him."  
  
"What makes you so sure?"  
  
"Because he taught me everything I know -"  
  
"Did he teach you how to kill?"  
  
Robin was thoroughly startled by this question. It took him a few moments to answer, "No, no, of course not."  
  
"There you are, then. He will never kill you, but I can teach YOU how to kill HIM."  
  
"But - I -" Robin stammered. He couldn't believe they were having this conversation. "Kill him!? But you said if I obeyed you -"  
  
"I said that if you obeyed your FRIENDS would live. I said nothing about him."  
  
"No," Robin whispered in horror, "no, I won't -"  
  
"What's that, boy? I can't quite hear you." Slade said mockingly, holding up the glove with the damn button. Robin turned away, feeling the tears of hopelessness forming behind his mask. He couldn't make a choice like that!  
  
When Robin didn't say anything, Slade said, "You'll have some time to think about it. Retire to your room, but don't get too comfortable; we'll be training again soon."  
  
It was all Robin could do to not lash out right there. Holding together his dignity as best he could, he left the computer room.  
  
-  
  
-  
  
(Dang, now this is getting heavy. Anyway, no, I'm not dead! Sorry I took so long, I got stuck! :P  
  
Maria ~ Nah, I know what you mean, I was just kidding. You're right, the story would be pretty boring without some angsty drama! ^_~  
  
Starre ~ But of course! .Wait, I just told you, huh? CRAP!  
  
Tandy ~ Thanks! My other stories? Oh yeah.I should get back to those huh? *LOL* Hey, everyone check out my Dee Dee fic in the Batman Beyond section, PLEASE?? Tell me what you think!  
  
G.O.T. Nick ~ Yeah, Batman wouldn't do that. Still, they were trying to tell us SOMETHING. Hmm. Wait, what happens in three months?  
  
Chessy Cat ~ o_O *LOL* Okay then.  
  
The Skiver ~ Yeah, it did kinda! Oh well. I hope it isn't him.  
  
Kraven the Hunter ~ You bet it's awkward! It's like your dad walking in and catching you smoking pot with your friends or something! o_O  
  
Alyson ~ *whimpers* Don't kill me! Here's the chapter! O_o  
  
Prisonero ~ Your fic looks good! You might wanna try fixing some spelling and grammer, but I think it's got potential! ^_~) 


End file.
